I'm visiting Vietnam and Thailand in a couple of weeks time, spending more time in Vietnam. Has anyone ever visited and had a tailor made suit made? I'm getting quotes at around $300 USD from the best reviewed places. For those who have had them made, can you compare the quality to any brands you can find in Australia?
Tailor Made Suits in Vietnam (or Thailand). Anyone Had One Made? Worth It?
Saul Goodman on 20/01/2024 - 13:02
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Got one made in Hoi An many years ago at A Dong Silk. No regrets, but don't know if they're good or bad now.
Fit was great and price was good. Suit has held up OK.
I'd suggest do you homework first, and get an idea of the style and fabric you want.
Otherwise they'll dump a phone book of photos and fabric samples on you, and you'll have to decide on the spot.
But, again, no regrets.PS: looks like A Dong have a pretty advanced website for choosing style and fabric.
If you order from them, they can make more suits for you after to you return to Aus. But I imagine all the bigger tailors offer this.
https://adongsilk.com/custom-suits
PS: looks like A Dong have a pretty advanced website for choosing style and fabric.
Thought you were joking until I saw you also posted the URL :)
Be aware your body changes over time
What fits today might be too small tomorrowOnly get one if you intend to use it now
This is so true. Made nice one in Vietnam and never wore as the suit no longer fit me.. :(
Happens in a few months… I was cycling through Europe for months back in the 1990's - young, fit, lean (very lean)… I stopped in Firenze, went out for dinner and came across a menswear shop… they had a lovely linen suit, great price, great fit… two months later, back home and not cycling hundreds of KM's a week anymore, I was not the same size as the suit anymore… The suit did not want to hear my excuses… I still have it, as a reminder of both good times, and bad decisions…
I have had suits made in both places several times.
Absolutely terrific value compared to AU off the rack, and tailored is much better fit.
Get some business shirts made too.+1 for custom shirts, make a big difference
What’s the average price for a suit?
I haven't had one made since pre-covid, so don't think I can say. Mine were cheaper than off-the-rack in Sydney, maybe $300? Shirts were about $40.
Note the AUD was a fait bit higher then!
I’m jealous. 300USD sound like more than I would expect tho, reckon I saw a tiktok where the bloke got 4 suits for about $1k
Let us know where you end up and how it goes
Last suit I bought for work was mj bale with cash back ($280ish overall, a bargain) and it is great, but yeh would like a few more custom/tailored suits
Have ordered a few custom shirts before and it’s hard to go back to off the rack shirts, defs recommend you get some shirtsI reckon walking around Hoi An and visiting a few actual shops they will be much more competitive than via email.
MJ bale suits on sale have been my go to for years, I’ve gotten some really good ones that just needed minor tailoring.
Biggest problem I find with tailored suits I’ve bought overseas is my gradual weight gain, they always go for a very sharp looking cut that didn’t leave much to let out. I have a closet full of great suits from 2010-2020 that I don’t have a hope in hell of wearing again
Suit are just one of those items that are not all forgiving if your change shape at all.
It occurs to me. You can get a loose fitting blazer/jacket. You can get loose/relaxed fit pants with plenty of ease. But combine them, and you don't necessarily get a 'suit' do you?
A suit is it's own thing. You're kinda asking for something close fitting according to your measurements.
They should have the colours your after.
I've had a suit made in Thailand about 10 years ago. Decent quality and a good fit.. Also had a shirts made that was a perfect fit. I kind of regret not getting more shirts but I very rarely wear a suit.
My friend also has a store made in a bright colour which he was pretty happy with.
I was too scared to part with my money. I heard there are some scammers where they take your money then delay and delay until your holiday is over and you have to leave the country naked!
I suppose that may happen but I bet it's so rare that it's not worth worrying about. In any case, in both of the places where I got suits made, they set up fitting days/times on the day. Everything done over about a four day period - this was in Bangkok. My suit and my mates' suits were excellent. The key is in the fabric choice - cheap fabric can look terrible.
I had a couple of suits made plus extra pants when I was in Bangkok about 16 years ago. Great quality at a good price and best thing I liked was there were tailored for my body.
These days I fortunate enough to not have to wear a suit for work. Polo top and jeans is overdressed
Yeah. People underestimate how hard it can be for some people to find a good pair of pants.
Went to Hoi An some 15 years ago.
Silk suit was something like $100 (back when the Aussie dollar was worth something), chucked it in the wash thinking it would never hold up, bought it from YALY which is one of the major ones there.15 years later it's still in perfect condition and better than most suits i buy, up there with the $750-$1000 sets.
Would happily buy one again provided the quality is still the same
Had one made in Thailand for $120,
Fell apart after 2 years, wasn't the same qualityIt's a gamble. You can get something wonderfully made that will last you for years, or something that just falls apart in 6 months. But you know why gambling is popular? Because it's fun. Drop the cash and just see what happens. Get a nice suit from one place with most of the money, and something completly wild from another place for cheap.
Holidays are about cutting loose and trying something new.
As always, this reminder: While you can barter a bit and walk away from bad deals, don't be the stingy foreigner who wants to haggle everything down to barely above cost because they're afraid of being ripped off. That dollar you save matters a lot more to people there than it does to you.
My teen is dying for one of these until he becomes a billionaire and goes to Saville Row…
I've made suits in both Thailand and Vietnam.
The first suit I made at some random trailer off Khao San Road was the best, and probably cheapest. The worse suit I had made was also in Bangkok and was also the most expensive.
Hoi An was also relatively cheap, and decent quality.
I find the experience to be tiresome with multiple fitting and sometimes pressure to accept something that is not correct.Hubby had a beautiful suit made in Thailand last July, price equated to approximately $400 AUD. The process of buying through a tailor in Vietnam or Thailand is the same. Have a wander around, there’s usually multiple tailors in most tourist locations, go into a couple, check out the fabrics on offer - most carry an extensive choice. Have a chat about price range for what you want, the more pieces you buy the better the price, eg a three piece suit with silk tie and pocket square and two shirts was what we got for $400. But they’d have sold us 3 suits for $1000.
We went to 3 tailors before deciding, not because they were cheapest, they weren’t, but because they had the best service. Pick a tailor who you have a good rapport with. Measure and quote done on the spot, about 30% deposit paid, come back in a few days for interim fitting, final fit and payment a day later. Usually it can be done in 24 hours but it’s better to have that interim fitting.
Comparatively the suit is far superior to anything available off the rack in Australia. It was a fabulous experience with a great outcome, we’d been wondering for years should we or shouldn’t we. Probably what put us off the most is the hard sell where sales staff are standing outside calling for you to come in. It’s very deterring!
One final point, bargain! They’ll have their calculator out with their figure, you have your phone out with the figure you want to pay. You strike the happy medium. Good luck! You’ll not regret it!So was the initial price > $400 and you bargained them down? What prices did they start with?
Close to $500 first offer and that was just the 3 piece suit & shirts. Got $400 with free tie and pocket square. It was quick and easy, and expected.
OP asked for a comparison, we also purchased a Moss Bros tuxedo in The UK in 2019. The Thai suit by Skandi tailors in Lamai, Samui, is of a very similar quality. Incidentally they have over 700 5* ratings on Trip Advisor so they are obviously doing something very right.
The Moss Bros website is helpful for understanding the suit process, check out custom made. Exact same process in Thailand. Of course it’s a personal choice whether one chooses a more economical fabric or a top quality. Obviously priced accordingly.
I had two very well made suits, $100 each when I was staying two years ago. Fit was great.
The material the suit is made from was not what I expected though and that is something to think about, the tailor that I used did not use a wool mix like you find here with Italian suits etc, suit feels good but I don’t know what the material is.
The other thing is that you need to ask for the trouser fit you like, slim fit etc as the default will be a looser leg which I personally don’t like as much.
I can't speak to Vietnam, but can for Thailand. The majority of suit places are Indian run and are some named variation of Raja's Tailors, Raja's Fashion. They do a 'bespoke' suit for you for a couple of hundred and a super fast turnaround time. All of these stores send your measurements to one of 4 large bulk/mass production factories. The suit might look & fit great, but it'll in the trash in 6 months. And they don't care as they are selling to tourists who they'll never see again. Meanwhile, there's another stream of new tourists coming through looking for a 'bargain'.
For high quality, there are very few places. I'm old enough to have purchased MANY suits in my time. You can easily drop $1,000 on an off-the-rack suit in Australia (which I have) from quality brands or $3+ for true bespoke. After a year, the off the rack suits are wearing out, the fit is failing, etc. About 10 or so years ago I found Tailor on Ten in Bangkok. They are not cheap, but bespoke (not Savile Row level, but still great). It's an initial consultation and measurement, then back to the store a few days later for an initial fit, back again a few days more for a second fit and any final adjustments, then back the next day or so for pickup. They have a solid range of fabric qualities, and their tailors are on-site (you can literally stand there and watch them work). Some are offsite now simply due to a lack of workspace at their location.
The first suit that I purchased from these guys lasted me for 6 years. Sure, it was around $1,000 using Holland & Sherry fabric, but for the same money as a suit purchased in Australia, I got 5 extra years of wear. I've purchased maybe 7 suits from them and all fit perfectly, use great fabric and LAST. Once you purchase from them, your measurements are kept on file so you can then order online.
CAVEAT: I haven't purchased from them in 3 years as I need to visit in person again later this year to get remeasured, but I'd be very surprised if the quality has dropped.
Maybe worth mentioning how often you wear the suits. Mine stays in cupboard for most time of the year so wouldn't justify paying anywhere close to $1k or more.
Each suit 1 - 2 times per week.
I had 5 business shirts made in Hoi An. They fitted like a glove which is not good when you’re on the larger size like me. Despite me asking for a looser fit, they tend to make shirts a bit tight & “clingy”.
I had a suit and shirts made at James the tailor in Bangkok years ago. Suit is still going strong and looks a million $ but sadly (or gladly) don’t wear suits so much anymore. Had it made with some quality contrasting lining fabric so a great custom design. I think this was the same tailor bill
Clinton went to when he visited Bangkok.https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Attraction_Review-g293916-d33…
I had some made in Bangkok. Buisiness suits and tuxedo. I would recommend. A few things to remember…..
The real value here is the “fitted” part.
You need to ensure you allocate enough time and not expect same day service.
First get measured up and choose style, fabric etc.
Remember inside jacket pockets, extra pants etc.
They will then need time to make the suit.
You can then go back for a fitment, this is where you can get the suit fine tuned to make sure it is perfect.Some people leave the suit to last minute and then do not have the final adjustments. The suit will be good, but not as good if you give them time.
Picked up a suit in Hoi Anh about a decade ago. Silk/wool blend, cost about $100, fitted like a glove, was a pleasure to wear.
When I was having my second fitting there was a couple there from the UK, she was having a wedding dress done, he was having a bag of fruit plus shirts. Budget was about £500, he said that it would have been £2500 back home because of the usual 'wedding surcharge'.
A friend has his shirts made there, they have his measurements on file and he orders six at a time for about $100, including postage to Sydney.Honestly for me a discount suit from Politix is way way better value and that includes going to a seamstress for adjustments than what you get in Vietnam.
I've used online retailer https://www.indochino.com/ in the past.
Some nice discounts popup sometimes, and they have fairly extensive customisation options, along with showing you how to measure yourself for a nice fit.
Had shirts made in Thailand. I got to pick the fabric in the store and they asked me all these questions. Best business shirts I ever bought in my entire life. Fit, finish, quality.
If you're travelling to Hoi An, Vietnam, I highly recommend Kimmy Tailor. Awesome quality, value, and really dialed. You can take a loved shirt, dress, ect and they will recreate it
You need a suit for a court appearance, Saul?